NHL Lockout 2012: Players Must Accept Latest Offer from Owners and End Insanity

With a new offer in hand from ownership, the NHL Players' Association finds itself in a position to end the NHL Lockout.

After 104 days, 646 canceled regular-season games (not including the Winter Classic, which would have been played next week) and the cancellation of the NHL All-Star Game, the Players' Association must bring an end to the insanity.

Multiple sources, including Pierre LeBrun of ESPN, are reporting that a new offer—one that has significant movement on some issues from ownership—has in fact been made and received by the Players' Association (via Twitter):

An NHL player says the NHL made a new offer to the NHLPA on Thursday, one which moved on contract term limits, buyouts and variance...

It's understandable why the players might take issue with those two things, seeing as how it impacts their bottom line.

I'd never begrudge anyone, in any profession, from making money. While some of us love our jobs, at the end of the day, the numbers on your paycheck mean something more than the love of the job, more than the love of the game.

Will the NHLPA accept the owners' latest offer?

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Will the NHLPA accept the owners' latest offer?

Yes

40.1%

No

59.9%

Total votes: 578

I get it.

At some point, though, the minimal gains that could be achieved by continuing to haggle over percentage points and a million dollars here, a million dollars there—when compared to the big picture—isn't worth dragging the second NHL work stoppage in the past eight years on for much longer.

Granted, there's quite a bit for the NHLPA to digest in this new offer, a point that wasn't lost on LeBrun (via Twitter):

At this point there is no scheduled meeting between both sides set for today. NHLPA needs time to review lengthy and detailed offer from NHL